6 Sep 2015

It has been remarked
how well Indians do outside of India. It could also be said how well Hindus do
outside of India, and additionally how well Hindu-based teachings like yoga do
outside of India.

The Hindu-American
community has been rated as one of the most affluent and educated religious
communities in America over the last more than ten years, far above the
dominant Christian population. Perhaps more importantly, Hindus have been able
to maintain their traditions and their families better than other religious
groups.

Most major American
cities have Hindu temples, many of them quite well constructed. Swaminarayanan
(BAPS) that has build the famous Akshardham in Delhi has an entire set of
comparable but smaller temples throughout North America and also UK. It is
building a new temple in New Jersey of similar size to the massive Delhi
Akshardham. London has a large set of Hindu temples of all types, making one
feel that one is actually in India.

Similarly, Westerners
taking up Hindu-related practices of yoga and meditation are usually among the
most educated and affluent groups, and include many professionals, doctors, media
people and artists. They may not formally call themselves Hindus but often have
Sanskrit names, listen to kirtans, believe in karma and rebirth, and follow
gurus and lineages out of India.

The old stereotypes
that Hindus are backward, poor or uneducated are quite contrary to how Hindus
have performed globally. Similarly the older idea that Hindu teachings are
superstitious, irrational or irrelevant has been shown to be in error.

Hindu-based teachings
repackaged through yoga, vedanta, and ayurveda contain among the most
innovative approaches in healing, psychology, science and spirituality in the
West today. While we find Hindus prominent in Silicon Valley and working for
cutting edge internet companies, we also find Westerners taking up teaching and
practicing yoga and vedic disciplines in a serious and dedicated manner. Even
Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computers, kept Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography
of a Yogi with him as one of his greatest inspirations.

Politically speaking,
the majority of Hindu-Americans vote democratic and are considered to be
liberal in their views, strongly supporting Obama both in 2008 and 2012. The
majority of Western people following Hindu-related teachings are also usually
regarded as liberal in their ideas, with the practice of yoga itself as part of
a movement towards world peace.

Yet we find the
Indian left, with its socialist leanings, criticising Hindu-Americans as
politically regressive, simply because they have been financially successful in
a capitalist society, which the Indian left does not want India to become.

Hindu-Americans
and Modi

The same Hindus in
the West are largely pro-Modi and would like to see economic reform and
liberalisation in India, as well as better ties between India and the world as
a whole. Soon they will turn out in great numbers to support Modi's upcoming
USA visit just as they did last year, in a way that probably no previous prime
minister has ever elicited during his foreign travels.

This enthusiasm for
Modi extends to the Hindu youth of America, including the second generation
born in the country, some of whom have never been to India. If India overall
had such enthusiasm about the country and its potentials, its development would
be much easier. Even the American government is lamenting that political forces
in India are trying to resist Modi's economic reforms.

However, we must
remember that the Hindu-American community is only a few decades old and is
still in its early developmental phases. We cannot expect it to quickly
transform America or India, but so far its growth has been phenomenal. It is
still fighting several battles for greater recognition and credibility just as
have other immigrant communities in the past.

Looking ahead, a
possible new alliance of a resurgent India, a strong global diaspora, and the
growing popularity of dharmic traditions globally, may indicate a greater role
for India and its culture for the future of the world.

In spite of extensive
colonial, missionary, and Marxist assaults - as well as an often unsympathetic
media in India - the influence of Hindu dharma continues to grow worldwide and
in a variety of names, forms and movements related to all aspects of life.

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